Stephen Marcus, chairman of the Marcus Corporation, has been inducted into the Midwest Exhibitor Hall of Fame by the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, according to an announcement by the Marcus Corporation Tuesday.
The hall of fame recognizes people who have held significant roles in the movie exhibition industry. Among other hall of famers is Stephen’s father, Ben Marcus, who founded the Marcus Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee.
“On behalf of NATO, I am honored to induct Steve into the Midwest Exhibitor Hall of Fame, signifying his excellence and outstanding contributions to the movie exhibition industry,” said Paul Rogers, president of NATO’s Wisconsin and Upper Michigan chapters. “He is an excellent leader and a true pioneer in a family whose contributions continue to inspire our industry to move forward for generations of moviegoers to come.”
Stephen has served the Marcus Corporation for the past 50 years. He was president from 1980 to 2008 and led the company as chief executive officer from 1988 to 2009, largely impacting its growth with acquisitions and new theatre establishments. He also chaired NATO from 2002 to 2004 and remains the organization’s director.
Stephen has passed on the tradition of family leadership to his son, Gregory Marcus, who is the current president and CEO of Marcus Theatres.
Stephen was honored for his achievements at NATO’s annual Geneva Convention Sept. 20 at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva. In his honor, NATO donated $50,000 to the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.
The Marcus Corporation ranks as the sixth largest theatre circuit in the U.S. with almost 700 screens throughout seven states.
